It Gets Dark So Early in Asakusa
by Red Ranger Kei
Summary: Ranmaru's not sure why he's drawn to Izumi or why she seems to feel similarly, but when push comes to shove he finds his loyalties may have shifted without him realizing it. Ranmaru/Izumi, minor Sakuma/Izumi.
1. It Gets Dark So Early in Asakusa

**Authorly preamble or something**: Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time I watched the Sailor Fuku to Kikanjuu drama and loved Ranmaru and wanted to pair him up with Izumi, so I wrote what turned out to be the first chapter of this, intended as a standalone oneshot. But then a friend loved it and goaded me into a followup, and I was easily talked into a third section after that. Wow. Because of that each section is supposed to end conclusively and, up until the third part, was supposed to be able to fit into canon somewhere between episodes two and four. The last bit kind of diverges from canon, but still follows the first two or three episodes. Basically what I'm trying to say is I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this. ;)

* * *

**It Gets Dark So Early in Asakusa**

_"Medaka!"_

A grocery bag hits the ground. The cold ringing of an unsheathed blade. A newfound alleyway shortcut suddenly seems like a very, very bad idea, but...

* * *

Izumi's not really sure how things ended up like this, but from what she can tell he's at least a little confused himself. She wouldn't pretend to know Ranmaru well, she only knows his name from asking Sakuma after first meeting the Hamagumi Family, but she knows he's composed and the hitch in his breath gives him away more than he knows.

"Boss said to leave you alone for now," he says quietly, tone steady but stilted, and slides the blade of his tanto into the knot of her uniform tie. But that betrays him as well; she's seen him move that knife, precise and quick as lightning, and his present caution is unmistakable. He tugs carefully at the knot and presses the tip of the blade to her chest through her uniform to make a point, murmuring, "But I wonder if I should..."

"A- are you certain you're in a position to be saying that?" Izumi retorts, and even though her voice shakes she's got a very valid point. After all, Ranmaru's the one with his back to the ground; the only thing keeping Izumi in place straddling him is his hand gripping the back of her skirt's waistband.

A hint of vexation hardens his expression and he jerks his tanto down harshly, simultaneously tugging the knot of her tie loose and causing her to lose her balance. She flails her arms and only barely manages to catch herself, her face mere inches from his by the time she does. He smells faintly of apples, she realizes, and can't help but laugh.

His hand slides up her back under her top and he pulls her close, kissing her hard as if trying to quiet her, but she continues to giggle in spite of her shock until he bites her lower lip.

"Ow! W- was that really necessary?" Izumi whines, wide-eyed, pulling away quickly in spite of Ranmaru's fingernails digging into her back. She squirms but his harsh grip does not budge, though the hand gripping his tanto now rests on his chest harmlessly. "Don't you know how to be nice?"

"No," Ranmaru replies simply with no change in his stony gaze, but when he pulls her close again his kiss has a definite gentle touch to it, and though hesitant, Izumi makes no complaint.

But her hunched posture is by no means comfortable, and it's not long before she draws back, raising one hand carefully to her hip with a wince. Her quiet explanatory groan of "My back", embarrassed and somewhat apologetic in tone, is barely articulated before Ranmaru shifts in response and she's on her back before she even realizes his intention. The ground is cold and hard where it presses her shoulders, but the aching strain on her lower back is instantly relaxed.

"Better?" Ranmaru asks, and it's impossible to tell if he actually cares or if it's even intended as a question. But he's supporting his weight with one hand, the one pressed flat to the ground, pinning his tanto and neutralizing any remaining threat it might pose, and it serves to release a substantial amount of the tension that's gradually seized Izumi. She offers a guarded smile in response and he nods, or maybe she just thinks he does, and slides his free hand up her leg past her skirt's hem, raising her leg until her skirt slips down to show enough skin to make her blush.

"You're kind of cute," he remarks with the ghost of a teasing smile, "for a complete failure of a leader, anyway."

"Well you're kind of sweet," Izumi replies and tries to remember Sakuma's precise wording, the speed of her words the only think keeping her voice from shaking as her blush deepens, "for a Hamaguchi Family lapdog." And before Ranmaru can manage a reply she grabs his collar and pulls him back in, and a defeated chuckle is all he offers.

* * *

"Hey Boss, are you okay?" Kinzo asks, leaning in to get a better look.

Izumi jumps in her seat, shooting a guilty look in return. "Yes, I'm fine! Why do you ask?"

"You have a bruise on your neck!" Kinzo observes, nodding. "Something happen? Did someone rough you up?"

Eyes wide, Izumi slaps her hand over the mark and stammers, "N- no, nothing like that! I, I just walked into a stop sign when I wasn't paying attention!"

Kenji runs across the room, looking openly appalled. "What? Which sign? Where?" he demands.

"Down the street!" Izumi replies quickly, pointing in a vaguely-defined direction.

"Nobody hurts Boss and gets away with it!" Kenji cries, grabbing an alarmingly large sledgehammer from under a nearby table and dashing out the door before Izumi can do anything except stare in mute horror.

Sakuma clears his throat and leans in close to Izumi. "Boss," he whispers, "if a situation like this should come about again, could you please try to come up with a lie that doesn't result in destruction of property?"

Izumi nods, cringing. "I'll do my best."

"Kenji! Wait for me!" Hideki yells, already halfway out the door.

"HIDEKI! DROP THE BLOWTORCH!"


	2. A Victim of the Rules You Live By

**Authorly preamble or something**: The friend who goaded me into writing this has Sakuma/Izumi as her preferred pairing, so it makes a brief appearance. Much to my surprise, I found writing Hamaguchi both easy and fun. Who woulda thought.

* * *

**A Victim of the Rules You Live By**

Sakuma's expression is cold and unreadable when he walks into Hamaguchi's office, and Hamaguchi has the good graces to look at least slightly surprised.

"Sakuma!" he greets, his smile humourless. "To what do I owe this honour?"

"My business is not with you," replies Sakuma, his voice matching his expression perfectly. His eyes are on Ranmaru when he says, "I'd like a word with _him_."

Ranmaru's response is nearly imperceptible, almost a flinch but infinitely more subtle; Sakuma only picks up on it because he's looking for it. Hamaguchi, still staring intently over tented fingers at Sakuma, doesn't notice.

"If you have a problem with one of my men," Hamaguchi replies in a falsely amiable tone, "I believe you should be taking that up with me."

"Not 'one of your men'," Sakuma says evenly. "I'd like a word with him, man to man."

Hamaguchi snorts as if he doesn't see the difference but he looks over to Ranmaru, who nods slightly. "All right," he announces grandly as if granting an enormous favour as he pushes to his feet and moves around his desk, "since it's _you_ asking, Sakuma." He claps his hand down on Sakuma's shoulder and smiles like he doesn't know how fake it looks. "Five minutes."

Once the door has closed behind him, Sakuma takes a moment to collect his thoughts since Ranmaru shows no signs of initiating conversation. "I'll make this short," he says finally, stepping closer to give his words gravity. "Stay away from Boss."

Expression unchanging, Ranmaru raises one eyebrow as if to say, _I have no idea what you're talking about_. As if Sakuma's words, heavy like a threat, don't deserve a response.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Sakuma replies anyway, refusing to let Ranmaru's stoicism ruffle him, and he has no idea that his true irritation shows in the unchecked twitch of his lips. "If you're just playing around with her, have a bit of decency. And if it's more than that" — a dry chuckle openly displays his scepticism — "realize the repercussions, for you and for her. Don't you have any pride as a man?"

Ranmaru laughs, just once and painfully fake, and his lips curve into something that could never be called a smile. "Don't you have any faith in your pathetic little leader's ability to keep an eye on herself?"

Sakuma slams his fist down on Hamaguchi's desk, barking, "That's not the point! She shouldn't have to, that's what I—" He stops, falters, and grunts, unsure if he's said too much but nonetheless irritated at having lost his temper with a kid.

He's barely composed himself when Ranmaru remarks, "Oh, jealous?" and it's an immediate backward slide as Sakuma grabs him by the collar, Ranmaru's tanto out, unsheathed, and to Sakuma's throat before his back hits the wall.

"Are you willing to die for her?" asks Ranmaru, tone flat as he applies just enough pressure to draw blood, head tilted back so he can glare like he means it.

"Sure," Sakuma replies with a reckless lack of concern, grip tightening pointedly, "but I don't intend to today." He leans in, forcing Ranmaru to pull his hand back lest something unfortunate happen before he intends. "And what about you? You going to do something to make her cry?"

Ranmaru's eyes dart first to the blade and then to Hamaguchi's desk before shutting tightly as if in frustrated contemplation, and the reaction is so strong for someone so seemingly emotionless Sakuma starts second-guessing. But by the time he's gathered his thoughts the tanto is sheathed and concealed again, though Ranmaru's glare is fiercer than ever. "Not today."

There's a single knock at the door and Ranmaru's ducked under Sakuma's arm, carefully straightening his collar, by the time the door opens a moment later. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything," Hamaguchi remarks, voice dripping with insincerity, "but somebody's looking for you, Sakuma."

"Boss!" Sakuma exclaims, a hint of guilt in his tone as Izumi peeks around the door. "What are you doing here?"

"That's what I should be asking!" Izumi shoots back, pouting in a truly guilt-inducing way as she shuffles into the room. "You shouldn't run off to other families without telling anyone!" When Sakuma opens his mouth to defend himself she adds, "Telling everyone else and then telling them not to tell me doesn't count, you know what I mean!"

"Sorry, Boss," Sakuma replies, not entirely sincere but feeling thoroughly defeated. "Who told?"

"Kenji," she admits as if it should be obvious, "but don't change the subject!" She pouts again. "You weren't trying to start a fight, were you?"

"Of course not, Boss," Sakuma assures her, almost drowned out by Hamaguchi's condescending chuckle when he follows up, "Of course not, Sakuma was just here to have a word with Ranmaru. _'Man to man'._"

Izumi starts as if she hadn't noticed Ranmaru, now motionless at his usual post by Hamaguchi's desk. She meets his eyes for a split second and blushes before they both look away. Sakuma notices with horror that Ranmaru seems to be blushing very slightly as well, and he's grateful at least for Izumi's sake that Hamaguchi takes no note of him as always.

"That sounds... violent," Izumi says, her voice soft and concerned, irritation largely dissipated. "You weren't trying to start a fight, were you?"

Sakuma and Hamaguchi both open their mouths to repeat themselves, but it's Ranmaru who says, "No," and startles them all — even he looks surprised. Hamaguchi shoots him a sharp look and he revises his interruption to a quick shake of his head; Hamaguchi looks satisfied and resumes ignoring him, but Ranmaru still seems unwilling to look directly at Izumi and the way he's glancing cautiously upward with his face still angled down makes him look almost vulnerable. Sakuma wonders if he's losing his mind.

"Well, Sakuma, if you're quite done here..." Hamaguchi trails off as if waiting for an answer, but his tone makes it clear it isn't meant as a question. "Ranmaru, why don't you see your guests out?" And neither is that.

In the elevator nobody dares to look anywhere but in the general direction of their shoes and the silence hangs heavy over them all. Still, Sakuma notices when Izumi, swaying gently with the motion of the elevator, brushes her hand cautiously against Ranmaru's. Sakuma glances upward to see her expression and instantly regrets it; Izumi's small smile is so sweet and content that he can't bring himself to intervene when Ranmaru grasps her hand tightly. Instead Sakuma contents himself with sighing, rolling his eyes, and taking Izumi's other hand. Nobody says a word.

It's short lived, and a return to their previous separated state is necessary by the time they reach the ground floor. The building lobby is empty save for a few men coming or going who all stop to greet Ranmaru, and while Ranmaru doesn't appear to acknowledge them Sakuma can tell he's almost painfully aware of their eyes on him. He ends up walking them right out the front door, out of the range of vision of those inside the building, but falters as if he's not sure why. After a moment's hesitation (as quick as it is subtle, but Sakuma finds he's already acclimated to this) he nods curtly and turns to leave, only to be stopped when Izumi catches his sleeve.

"Sakuma-san, look at that over there!" she exclaims, and he pretends to fall for it so she can dart in to kiss Ranmaru quickly in parting.

"Yes, Boss, the cat is very cute," Sakuma remarks, nodding, and there is indeed a cat and it is indeed very cute. "Come on, it's time to go."

He extends his hand to shake and when Ranmaru takes it cautiously he pulls him in closer, leaning in to whisper, "Hurt her and I'll slit your throat."

Ranmaru shoots back, "Let her get hurt and I'll do worse than that," and he certainly sounds like he means it.

Ranmaru glares. Sakuma smiles. He feels like they've come to an understanding.

Sakuma waits patiently while Izumi watches Ranmaru go back inside, and feels a pang that might be irritation and might be something else when she sighs wistfully. Before he knows what he's doing he's leaned in to kiss her, and in her surprise it takes Izumi a minute to hop back, wide-eyed.

"Sakuma-san! W- w- what—?"

"Nothing, Boss," Sakuma replies with a feigned calm, knowing he's lying to himself as well as her. "It's nothing."

She takes a long moment to consider this quietly, but as if showing her acceptance of his explanation (or lack thereof) she cautiously holds onto his sleeve as they walk away. "By the way," she says eventually, "how did you find out?"

"You left your math notebook at HQ last week."

"I did?"

"The one with his name circled with hearts on the inside of the cover."

"Ohhh. Say, Sakuma-san, do you have any whiteout?"

"We can look when we get back."

"Thanks."


	3. Happily Ever After

**Authorly preamble or something**: _The thing about writing Sailor Fuku is the more I do it the more I want to write horrifically OOC fic where Ranmaru and Izumi run away together and maybe start a bed-and-breakfast in the countryside and nothing bad happens to anyone!_ Quite possibly the worst thought process behind anything I've ever written, but I stand by it because I love how it turned out. This was originally just supposed to be around 300 words for some closure, but that didn't really pan out how I expected. Oh well~

* * *

**Happily Ever After**

"Ranmaru, come here for a moment."

Ranmaru nods obediently and approaches Hamaguchi, standing half a step behind in front of a television running a grainy black-and-white video. His pulse quickens as he realizes what it is, and within seconds it feels like his heart is ready to beat out of his chest.

"Interesting, isn't it?" Hamaguchi remarks. "Surveillance footage from the elevator. Would you care to explain?"

With an overwhelming sense of dread Ranmaru watches himself, tiny on the screen, holding Izumi's hand tightly. He'd always assumed that, if caught, he could easily talk his way out of trouble, but when Izumi's sweet smile surfaces in his mind his words catch in his throat and he knows there's no way he can bring himself to deny it.

Every leaden footstep of the men entering the room behind him is like a blow to his stomach, and it's not long before they make it literal.

* * *

Izumi assumes that someone in her position should be a tad paranoid when there's a knock on the door at four in the morning, which is why she opens it with a golf club in her hand. It hits the ground the second she sees who it is.

The first words out of his mouth are, "They know," and Izumi knows exactly what he's saying. Ranmaru's hair is disheveled, his face bruised, and he's bleeding from his lower lip and a cut over one eye. His usual blazer is nowhere to be seen, his tie slackened haphazardly, his shirt dirty and untucked.

Izumi's jaw drops and all the things she wants to say come out as a horrified squeak.

"I'm going," he says, "away. Somewhere." He winces and touches his lip gingerly, eyes still on Izumi. He opens his mouth as if to speak again but hesitates like he's waiting for permission.

Concern and panic breeding impatience, Izumi blurts out, "What? Say what you want to say!" She bites her lip anxiously.

"Come with me," Ranmaru replies immediately. "I want you to... come with me." Izumi just stares, stunned into holding her silence, so he continues. "If they know, you're not safe. But if you leave, they won't care! You'll be safe! Please—"

He stops, cut off by a hoarse cough, but Izumi's already thrown herself at him by then. She hugs him tightly and when he exhales sharply she realizes the bruises aren't just on his face. She immediately loosens her grip but Ranmaru stops her, hugging her even tighter and resting his head on her shoulder. Izumi breathes in deeply; she smells dirt and blood, and under that something that reminds her of having a home instead of just a place to come back to each day.

"Come on," she whispers. She strokes his hair gently, pretending she doesn't feel where it's matted with half-dried blood. "Come inside."

Izumi leaves him alone, sitting on the couch carefully nursing a glass of cold water, for about ten minutes. When she returns she drops a duffle bag onto the floor and a first-aid kit on the couch.

"Shirt off," she says, and her tone leaves no room for argument.

Ranmaru complies meekly, unbuttoning it as quickly as his still-shaking hands will allow and sliding it down over his shoulders to reveal his injured back. A still-forming bruise near his shoulder looks suspiciously like a shoe tread. He manages an awkward half-smile as he says, "Be gentle."

"Of course," Izumi replies, trying to look like she doesn't want to gather the Medaka and demand Hamaguchi's head on a silver platter. "One of us has to be." She apologizes quickly for making his lip smart from laughing.

With gentle hands she wipes the spots of dried blood from his back, disinfecting and bandaging his cuts and scrapes. He sits quietly, head bowed, eyes closed, breath shallow, and she smiles as his tense muscles gradually relax under her hands. When she's done she presses lightly on his shoulder and he obediently turns to face her, folding one leg under himself and inching closer.

"Oh!" Izumi exclaims suddenly, jumping a little in her seat. (Ranmaru's default stoicism keeps him from responding in any way she can detect.) "Now I know what's missing." She touches the tip of her index finger to his shoulder and lightly traces the neckline of an imaginary blazer down his bare chest. "Where's your dosu?"

Ranmaru pauses briefly to think before replying in a flat tone, "You won't like the answer."

Izumi nods as if to say she'd expected as much when she'd asked and suggests, "Tell me anyway?"

"I left it in someone's leg," he admits frankly, tapping his thigh for emphasis.

Izumi goes pales and her eyes widen, but she purses her lips and, after some consideration, reluctantly concludes, "Well, what can't be helped can't be helped."

Ranmaru nods slowly, expression blanking as he mutters, "Wish I'd got it back, though..."

Izumi gives him a sharp jab in the cheek and he jerks back, wincing. "You won't need it anymore," she says firmly and turns her attention back to the first aid kit as if closing the subject. Her voice is softer when she adds, "Hold still, this is probably going to sting."

He holds perfectly still as instructed as she tends to the cuts and bruises on his face, chest, and arms, pleased to find she has just enough gauze to properly wrap a deep-looking gash on his upper arm, and if it hurts he shows no sign of it. Feeling somewhat awkward in the silence, she asks. "Is that any better? Did I miss anywhere?"

Ranmaru nods once, solemnly. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine. But you did miss..." He points to his cheek and informs her seriously, "You don't know your own strength."

Izumi offers a guilty chuckle, moving his hand aside in order to lean in and kiss the indicated spot gently. "There, that should do the trick. Anywhere else?"

Expression unchanging, he indicates his lip, which has finally stopped bleeding. "They got me good, you know."

This time there's nothing but gentle amusement in Izumi's laugh. "You're kinda cute when you're not pretending to hate everything," she says, and smiles.

"I think I've heard something like that before," he remarks, and there's a smile in his eyes as he grabs her forearm and pulls her closer. Izumi does her best not to exacerbate any pain that might actually linger but she's far from reluctant when he kisses her, consciously ignoring the faint metallic taste of blood.

"Hey," Ranmaru says, pulling away just enough to speak. "Hey. You never gave me an answer."

Izumi kisses him lightly on the tip of his nose and scoots back a bit in her seat so she can extend a leg to give the duffle bag on the floor a solid kick. "There's my answer," she replies firmly and turns away to conceal the smile she can't suppress. She leans down to grab the clean shirt she'd retrieved from her father's room earlier and left forgotten on the floor, tossing it to Ranmaru. Watching him button it from the corner of her eye, she chews her lip thoughtfully. "And I'm ready to go whenever you are," she concludes finally, "but I have a stop I have to make first."

* * *

Izumi feels a bit better about her previous paranoia when Sakuma opens the door with a golf club in one hand. "Boss," he greets, but his eyes are on Ranmaru and his grip tightens visibly.

"Sakuma, put that thing away," she replies with a sigh, squirming slightly as Ranmaru's grip on her arm tightens pointedly. "Can we come in?"

Sakuma contemplates for only a moment before concluding, "Of course," and propping the golf club against the wall beside the door. He steps aside to let them enter, and Izumi doesn't have to look at him to know he's keeping a close eye on Ranmaru. The apartment (over a shop in Asakusa) is unexpectedly small, but tidy and uncluttered. It looks barely lived in.

Seated on the floor at a low table, Sakuma listens passively as Izumi explains the situation, responding only with the occasional nod when she hesitates or pauses. She stares at the wall behind Sakuma the entire time she's speaking, and when she finishes she casts her gaze down to her folded hands with a heavy, tired sigh. Sakuma holds his silence for a moment longer before asking, "So, what now? Where do you intend to go? Did you even think that far ahead?"

"I have an aunt in Kyoto," Ranmaru replies immediately, and reaches over to place one hand on Izumi's. "She runs an inn. We'll... probably have to work, but she'll let us stay. For a while, at least."

Sakuma makes a vague noise suggesting grudging acceptance and places both hands flat on the table. "And what about the Medaka?"

His words and tone are distinctly neutral but Izumi flinches like it's an accusation. She looks Sakuma straight in the eye and takes a deep breath so her voice is steady when she firmly replies, "I intend to retire; I'm naming you as my successor." With a self-conscious half smile she adds, "I've never been very good at the whole 'leader' thing anyway."

Sakuma shakes his head, apparently unfazed by Izumi's change in temperament. "Boss, you know I can't do that. The seventh boss's last wish was for the Medaka Family leadership to stay with a blood relative. If you leave, it ends with you."

Izumi's eyes widen with panic. "I forgot about that!" she squeaks, leaning in. "D- don't do anything drastic! Just let me think for a moment." She bites her lip contemplatively and takes more than a moment to think it over but finally says, "Then, I'm taking a trip and I don't know when I'll be back. So I'm leaving you in charge in the meantime." She smiles as if pleased with her ingenuity. "I can do that, right?"

"It's a bit of a grey area." Sakuma smiles. "I think you can get away with it, though. Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky and a distant relative will turn up."

"And you won't do anything drastic?" Izumi asks cautiously, then corrects herself. "You won't do anything drastic," she repeats, and it's clear she means it as an order. Sakuma just smiles, but Izumi seems satisfied.

Details are resolved quickly, cellphone numbers exchanged and promises made to keep in contact. Izumi objects when Sakuma presses no small amount of money into her hand, but he insists.

"Shinkansen fare's not cheap," he says. "I swore to protect you, Boss, and if that means getting you out of Kanto as quickly as possible I should at least provide train fare. Just think of it as Medaka Family funds, or a going-away present, or even a dowry." He shoots a sharp look at Ranmaru. "Not to say that you should actually get married. I recommend sleeping in seperate rooms— make that seperate _buildings_, by the way."

Izumi nods patiently. "A married woman can't lead a yakuza family, I know."

"But maybe we'll get lucky and a distant relative will turn up..." Ranmaru repeats quietly, pointedly not looking at Sakuma, and Izumi giggles. Sakuma stares blankly in a way that suggests general disapproval.

"And you," Sakuma resumes, composing himself. "Remember, what I said before stands, don't think a little distance changes anything. Hurt her and I'll slit your throat."

Almost glaring, Ranmaru stares Sakuma in the eye and nods, once. "Of course."

Sakuma pauses meaningfully before making a vague noise of acceptance and turning his back to them. He removes a jacket from its place on the back of a chair and removes from an inner pocket a sheathed dosu, which he hands to Ranmaru. "Here, in case you need it. I mean, you won't need it. But. In case you need it."

Ranmaru accepts it with a nod and bows. "I'll take care of it," he promises, and Sakuma smiles. "And I'll take care of her."

* * *

Two and a half months later Sakuma gets a text from Izumi. He reads it carefully and promptly drops his cellphone into his coffee in shock.

_Sakuma-san, we may have a candidate for the next Medaka leader!  
You'll have to wait about eight and a half months to meet him, though. ;)_


End file.
